Cajun Shrimp Stew - Emeril's Sizzling Skillet Style

Ok, does this not look good?

It was warm and hearty and a really great stick to your ribs recipe for Cajun Shrimp Stew. This recipe comes from Emeril Lagasse’s new cookbook Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders. Being a part of Emeril’s 3 week-long blogger party, I have been given 3 recipes to share with you and today is your lucky day, as this is one of them! This recipe is one you will need to plan ahead for. It’s not a quick toss it together, but it is SO WORTH IT. Delish! Should we get to the pictorial???? Oh alright, let’s do it.

Like any good farmgirl, I started this recipe by heading to the garden and digging up some veggies.

We’re starting with Rich Shrimp Stock. So add some olive oil to a large stock pot.

Add a pound of shrimp shells (and heads if you have them) and saute for 4 to 6 minutes. Insert a fun song here [fish heads, fish heads, rolly polly, fish heads, fish heads, fish heads, eat them up YUM]

Ok, my son didn’t think that song was fun either. He just gave me the “you’re weird” stare.

Add 2 rough chopped carrots, 1 large onion rough chopped, 1 stalk of celery (you guessed it) rough chopped and 2 garlic cloves, smashed.

Add 12 cups of water to the pot.

2 bay leaves, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp of peppercorns, 3 sprigs of Thyme and 2 large sprigs of Italian parsley. Give it a stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 45-60 minutes. Strain the stock into a bowl and wipe out the pot.

Let’s make some roux!

Heat up 1 cup of vegetable oil in the stock pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of flour and whisk constantly until the roux begins to brown.

You’re going for peanut butter color here and it should take about 10 minutes. If it’s browning to fast, turn down the heat.

Add 2 1/2 cups of chopped onion and 12 cloves of minced garlic and cook until the onions get soft (about 4 minutes).

I’d like to interject a comment here: If a recipe calls for more than 3 cloves of garlic – I LOVE IT. That is all.

Start adding the Shrimp stock slowly and whisk to combine until smooth.

Let’s kick this puppy up now. Add 2 bay leaves, 1 1/4 tsp black pepper, 3/4 cayenne, 3 tsp fresh thyme and 4 tsp kosher salt. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add 3 diced russet potatoes and simmer for another 30-40 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is thick. Add 2 lbs of Shrimp (that have been tossed with 1/2 tsp salt), 1/4 cup of chopped green onions and 2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley. As soon as the shrimp are pink, it’s time to serve up some happy.

Serve the Cajun Shrimp Stew over steamed white rice in a large bowl.

Gorgeous. Tasty. Make it today. Invite friends. It makes a lot. I hope someone’s reading this.

Cajun Shrimp Stew
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Ingredients

1 cup vegetable oil

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 ½ cups finely chopped onion

¼ cup minced garlic (about 12 cloves)

10 cups Rich Shrimp Stock (page 173)

2 bay leaves

1 ¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

¾ teaspoon cayenne

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt

3 large baking potatoes (2 ½ to 3 pounds), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 pounds small or medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

¼ cup chopped green onion, green part only

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Steamed long-grain white rice, for serving

Instructions

1 Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat and, when hot, add the flour. Whisk to combine and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until a medium roux is formed (it should look a bit darker than peanut butter), about 10 minutes. (If the roux begins to brown too quickly, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and take your time – it is important that the roux not be burned at all of the stew will have a bitter taste.) As soon as the roux is the right color, add the chopped onion and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the stock, little by little, and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Add the bay leaves, black pepper, cayenne, thyme, and 4 teaspoons of the salt and reduce the heat so that the sauce just simmers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the floury taste is gone, 30 to 45 minutes.

2 Add the potatoes and continue to cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are very tender and the sauce is thick and flavorful, 30 to 40 minutes longer. (Add a bit of water or chicken broth to thin the gravy should the stew get too thick during the cook time. The sauce is meant to be thick and rich but not pasty.)

3 Toss the shrimp with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Stir the shrimp, green onion, and parsley into the stew and continue to cook until the shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Remove the bay leaves. Serve the stew in shallow bowls over hot white rice.

6 to 8 servings

Rich Shrimp Stock

Ingredients
1 to 1 1/2 pounds shrimp shells and heads
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
14 cups water
1 large onion, unpeeled and roughly chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped celery
2 small carrots, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 large sprigs fresh parsley

Instructions
1 Rinse the shrimp shells and heads in a large colander under cold running water and allow to drain.
2 In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the shrimp shells and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shells are pink and toasty-fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the water and all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming an foam that comes to the surface. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook at a slow simmer until the stock is flavorful, 45-60 minutes.
3 Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heat-proof bowl and allow to cool completely (if not using immediately)

Makes about 12 cups

Full disclosure: For my commitment to this blogger cooking party, I received a copy of this cookbook, as well as a set of Emeril – by Zak! Table Art 7-piece Flame-Shaped Serving Bowls, and Emeril Seasoning; a $50 grocery reimbursement and Emeril cookbooks upon completion of the party. The top performing blogger, as selected by T-Fal, will be awarded an Emeril by T-Fal Slow Cooker. YOU will be eligible to win a copy of the cookbook, as well as the 7-piece zak! set.